Angelic Courage: My Evangelion Fanfic
by NinjaHeart
Summary: Basically, an Eva fanfic, with some selfinsertion. And if you don't like Asuka, you're probably not going to like it.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Enter Else DeMachina

Else writhed in agony as he struggled to awaken, but to no avail. The nightmare was oh so familiar to him...the cold, unforgiving glass walls all around him, enclosing like a clear coffin. He, Else, trapped inside, floating inside a pool of blood. And then that face. It was in shadow, but he could see a glint of light over the figure's eyes, as if he were wearing glasses, and whoever he was, he was very tall, and definitely male. He didn't know why, but Else felt an immense hatred swell up inside him as he saw that face, extending even beyond the dream's vapors, so his sleeping face turned red with anger. Then the unthinkable happened; suddenly, he felt his body pushing against all sides of the glass prison. The frozen look of absolute fear on the man's face. Oh, how his dreaming self had relished that fear; and that elation lasted for about two seconds, when the glass broke. He felt the pain, but not much, as if it were dulled somehow. Felt the cuts of a thousand shards of ice on his entire body, but paid them no heed. He only knew he had to destroy that person in front of him, and as he thought this, he felt an intense pain in his shoulder blades, and the ghastly sound of his flesh reshaping itself. He stood up now, and heedless of the glass shards in front of him, walked across the floor toward the man whom he hated. His hands suddenly rent the air in front of him with white lightning, and the man fell to the ground, unconscious. He bent down to look into his face, and had almost seen it when...

A car horn honked, and Else woke with a start. Even though it was only about 65 degrees farenheit outside, his entire body was drenched in sweat. Suddenly, he stiffened as he heard the sound of approaching footsteps. Quickly, he looked around for hiding places, but being outside in the park as he was, there weren't many places to hide. Sweeping his long black bangs out of his eyes, he stood up. Might as well try and avoid detection. But, he thought to himself, for how much longer? As he climbed up a tree, he thought more. Ever since he could remember, he had been dodging the police, trying to stay out of the public eye. Else was an orphan, but so far, the police didn't know of him yet. For some reason he didn't know, Else didn't trust the government. He could be shipped away to a foster home, or worse. No, it was better to stay in hiding, to stay in shadow. He shinnied up into the branches of the tree he had climbed, then willed himself to be silent. There he sat, hardly daring to breathe. A policeman strode along the park's main walking lane, whistling as he went, and suddenly, he stopped just under the tree Else was in. Else held his breath; the policeman went on his way, and as soon as Else knew he was out of earshot, he scampered down the tree with surprising agility, and dashed off into the night.

xxx

The next morning, no one noticed the teenage boy with long black hair in the crowd of the busy streets of Tokyo-3. But then again, why would they? They all had their own agendas, as Else had his. He was incognito, or so it seemed. Inside a nearby car, a young woman with dark purple hair watched him as he walked down the sidewalk into the school, as if nothing was unusual about it at all. "So this is him," Misato Katsuragi said to herself, looking at the card in her seat in front of her, propped beneath the ashtray on the dashboard. "Else DeMachina." As Misato was musing thus, meanwhile Else was walking up to school, blending in w/the crowd of other students as he assumed his everyday guise of an ordinary student. No orphan here, officer...just a junior high school student, and thank you for your time. Here he could stay, and as long as he kept attending school regularly, the police wouldn't be any the wiser. No questions asked. Of course, no one ever spoke to him; then again, he chuckled to himself, why would they? It was human nature to shy away from people you didn't know, only to stick to the people you were close to; and the other people who were friendly, well, thanks to Else's appearance, no one would come within a mile of him. He had long black hair that hung almost down to his shoulders, but even his bangs couldn't hide the stare of his piercing red eyes that never seemed to blink. In fact, if you were to look at the back of his head, you would swear his eyes were staring through his head right back into yours, and if you looked right into them, you felt as if he was gazing into your very soul. Also, he had unnaturally pale, clammy skin, and the effect of all of these facial features was you got a vibe from him that screamed, "Demon!" with a voice that could shatter glass. But in his school uniform, he was invincible. The police couldn't, wouldn't touch him, and he never did anything really bad. He had an after-school job at a small ramen place, working behind the counter because, as he knew the manager thought but would never say to his face, his appearance would frighten away the customers; anyway, it gave him enough to make ends meet.

Actually, Else was around 15, but he was so skinny, they treated him just like any other student in the 8th grade class B. So he was surprised when the teacher called him up to answer a question, and he was even more surprised that he actually knew the answer, and even added a few explanations of his own. The other students were in shock, but Else was the most surprised of all. He hadn't even known he'd known the answer, and that quite frankly was scary. His thoughts were interrupted by the lunch bell ringing. Unlike most Japanese schools, the students were actually allowed to go outside to eat, and Else took advantage of this. The noontide sun was high, and Else just stared up at the sky absentmindedly as he ate his ramen quietly away from the others. Else really liked ramen, and looked forward to seeing what brand the restaurant owner gave him that day for lunch, and today's actually had chicken in it: which was odd, because usually it was some kind of fish or another. Ah, but he didn't complain (who would he have to do so to, anyway?) instead he carefully slurped down the ramen, being careful as it was still hot. Only minutes later, he had finished, and lay back onto the bench with a sigh. As he looked up, he noticed that he could see the girls' gym practice from here. And that's when he saw her. The girl was alone, as he was, but what stood out even more was her pale skin and red eyes...just like his, but a lighter shade, not as intense as Else's, and as he looked at her, she looked in his direction, and in that second, he was positive that she could see him, no matter how far away she was. What was her name? He'd heard it before, but it escaped him at the moment. The strange girl met his stare for almost five minutes, looking back at him as his gaze was fixed upon her eyes. She wasn't bad looking, he noted, but with milder interest than her eyes. Those eyes! Never had Else met a gaze as piercing as his own. His musings were suddenly interrupted by the bell to go back to class ringing, but he looked over his shoulder as he walked away, and saw her still looking at the back of his head.

Thus was Else's first encounter with the first child, Rei Ayanami. And from then on, his life would change forever, starting with the dismissal bell.

xxx

Else yawned as he filed out of the classroom with the rest of the students, ready to join his coworkers at the little ramen kiosk, but suddenly, he tensed, sensing that someone was watching him. Could it possibly be the red-eyed girl? No-the feeling was different. Turning, he saw an unsuspicious-looking car driving alongside him. The only thing was, it was following him at exactly the same speed. Else knew he'd be stupid if he tried to run, but he was saved the trouble of having to decide what to do next by the window being rolled down. "There any particular reason you're following me?" he addressed the occupant with a voice that could freeze beer. "Is this how you usually greet people?" the purple-haired young woman at the driver's seat countered. "Get in," she said, and even though the voice she spoke it in had no trace of anger, he knew she was giving him an order, "Come on," she urged. "It's not like you have anywhere to go now." He didn't like the knowledge she seemed to have of him, but she was right: his shift didn't start for another hour. So he shrugged and fastened himself into the car, and without a word, the car shot off, driving slightly over the speed limit. "So who are you, anyway?" Else addressed the driver, who pretended she was concentrating on the road, but eventually replied, "I'm Misato Katsuragi." Else didn't say anything after this, and turned his attention out the window. "It's polite to tell people your name," she said with a little authority, but was stopped by a glance from him. "Why should I tell you-if you know it already?" Misato was taken aback until he withdrew from his pocket his own ID card. She glanced at the dashboard, and sure enough, the card was no longer there. She hadn't even seen him reach for it...then he continued. "You really should be more careful where you leave things," Else said with a smirk. "You're not very subtle, are you?" Misato said, and even though it wasn't polite, she didn't seem angry. "Subtlety?" Else laughed as he took a closer look at the card in his hand. "Never heard of it. Do you work for these NERV people?" "Not that it's any of your business, but yeah." "And now can you explain all those unmarked car batteries in the back?" Misato froze. "You shouldn't ask so many questions." "So you did steal them, then?" By way of an answer, Misato peeled around a sharp curve, plastering Else up against the window. "Ouch..." he groaned. "Okay-no more questions." Misato smirked as he lapsed into silence.

Chapter 1 End.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: The Fourth Child and the Angel

"Here we are," Misato said as she and Else climbed out of the car. Else stared up at the building in front of them, and responded, "Where's here?" "NERV headquarters," Misato responded, and without further explanation, she steered Else toward two wrought-iron doors, which opened as they approached. Else still had many questions. Just who was this mysterious woman, and where was she taking him? Sure, he knew her name, and knew the place he was heading, but beyond that, he knew nothing. He was just an unwilling spectator who had been made a part of this by who-knows-who, and now he was in the middle of this, whether he liked it or not. So Else did what he did best-he stayed silent, and waited for the answers to come to him. As they rode down in a small, rickety elevator, Misato examined the boy standing in front of her. He was so quiet, and the aura she got from him was somehow unnerving. And the silence...Misato shivered. "Don't you ever talk?" she asked, just to break the silence. "To whom?" Else replied. "I don't have any parents, you know." "Oh. I'd forgotten," Misato didn't say anything until the elevator clanged to a stop. They walked down a long corridor to a large steel door, upon which Misato gestured to Else. "Just scan your ID in that slot," she said, and for the first time, Else noticed a slot next to the door just large enough for his card. Sliding the card into the slot, Else stepped through the door with Misato close behind. "J-Just what is this?" Else stammered.

In front of him, a long catwalk extended across a vast, empty space, and it was upon this catwalk that he and Misato were walking. Upwards and to Else's left, a small room extended out from the wall to the side, which had mirrored windows which couldn't be seen into from the outside. But what Else was staring at was the series of enormous man-like robots set at attention like a company of soldiers against the opposite wall. "Ah-that's a giant robot!" Else said, finally exploding into asking all his questions. "Just what kind of place is this?" "Else DeMachina; welcome to NERV headquarters," Misato replied by way of explanation. Suddenly, a technician with brown hair and thick-framed glasses (never could remember this guy's name.) burst into the room through a door at the far end. "Captain Katsuragi! We've got a serious problem!" "Captain?" All Else could do was look at Misato with a questioning expression, completely at a loss for words.

XXX

"An Angel? Now, when all the pilots are out of commission...typical." Misato and Else were being briefed in the central computer room, and Else was still baffled. What in the world were they talking about? "Are any of the Eva prepared?" Misato asked the blonde-haired woman in the lab coat in front of them, whom Else later learned was Dr. Ritsuko Akagi. "That's just it!" Ritsuko's expression was frantic. "The Eva are all currently in sleep mode; rebooting them could take hours! And the only able pilots we have are out of commission...we could be doomed." "ALL the Eva?" Misato said desparately. "Well, there is...THAT Eva." "You can't be referring to Unit 5! Do you remember what happened last time we tried to put a pilot in that Eva?" Ritsuko's expression darkened, showing that she did indeed remember. "Ayanami barely escaped with her life," Misato finished, causing Else to tense up. "But who's this?" Ritsuko asked as if seeing Else for the first time. "This is Else DeMachina, the fourth child." Else looked up, and Ritsuko shivered as she caught a glimpse of his eyes. Meanwhile, Else's mind was reeling. What exactly were they referring to? Someone had nearly gotten killed, that much he was certain of, but...this was all so much to take in all at once. "Is he in any condition to pilot?" "Ritsuko, are you crazy? He probably doesn't even know what he's getting into yet." "Well, he could be our only hope." Else noticed them looking at him, and was immediately nervous.

"Else?" Misato spoke up. "Do you think you can pilot Unit 5?" "Misato!" "I-I don't know..." Else's voice was shaky as he replied, but he stood his ground. "Didn't the last pilot nearly die?" "She's okay now..." Misato added, somewhat ineffectually. "But, if it means death if I choose not to, then I will do what I must do." _Brave words, _Ritsuko thought. _But can he back them up? _

XXX

The next several minutes were all a blur to Else; from getting suited up, to being nearly drowned in the oxygenating solution, to finally riding the second elevator down to Unit 5. The Eva, when he saw it, was almost completely shrouded in darkness, yet Else could somehow tell Unit 5 was black to begin with. "So that's it," he said softly. "That's the Eva I have to pilot." "Yeah." Misato answered, then, noticing his expression, "Scared?" "The fate of the city depends on me, and I have no idea what I'm supposed to do. What do you think?" _He has a right to be scared; I just hope he can overcome his fear, or we're doomed. _Else's expression was stoic as he ascended in the lift, and as he slid smoothly into the pilot's seat, he was feeling pretty confident. "I can't imagine how someone could die trying to pilot this," he said to himself--then he was knocked back as the entire Eva began to shake with frightening force. "Here it comes," Ritsuko gritted her teeth, and Misato's expression was grim as she appeared next to Ritsuko in the computer room. "Come on, you blasted thing, STOP!" Else's shout was so sudden, the two women were startled as they heard it through the communicator. Inside the cockpit, it had grown entirely dark, and the only visible light came from the new, fiery glow of Else's eyes. "What the hell-the synch ratio is settling back down?!" Ritsuko shouted. "100..." Misato breathed, not believing her eyes. "What are you waiting for?" Else's voice had a strange echo as it came over the communicator. "Mmmm...commence launch sequence!" Ritsuko shouted. As Misato watched Unit 5 shoot up from the holding chamber, she couldn't help but wonder what NERV had just unleashed.

XXX

Eva Unit 5 emerged from its container like a child's action figure emerging from its package, and there it stood. As tall as the Eva, the angel was grotesque; a giant green, throbbing lump with a strange pattern on its front. "Prepare to die." The voice was Else's, and it came from his mouth, but somehow, something had changed. Else reached to his side inside the cockpit, and the Eva drew the progressive knife, its long blade glinting in the late afternoon sunlight; and with that, Else charged, a wild, inhuman cry ripping from his throat. As soon as he got close, the angel's AT field met the Eva's, and it became an uphill struggle as Else and the Eva fought as one to pierce it...Else's eyes flashed an angry red, and suddenly, the angel's force field shattered like a glass windowpane. Else didn't wait, but drove the knife clean through the eyespot on the angel's front. There was a pause...then in a flash of light, the angel disintegrated. "I-I don't believe it..." All Misato could do was stare at the scene on the computer screen before her. "He destroyed the angel on his first piloting...unbelievable!" "Well, if you think that was a hairy situation, you won't like this bit of news," Ritsuko replied, adjusting her glasses. "He hasn't met the other pilots yet..."

XXX

Far away, a plane was beginning to board. "Will rows A-M please board now?" the flight attendant crackled over the intercom. Looking at the ticket in her hand, the second child frowned. "Japan?" Asuka said incredulously. "No one said I'd have to go there...but as usual, no one ever tells me anything." Still wearing the frown, Asuka picked up her small purse and walked up to the boarding area.

FINALLY I am finished w/this chapter...first glimpse of Asuka, she'll show up more in the next chapter, plus Else gets introduced to Rei.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: The Angel And The Devil

Ritsuko Akagi's expression was calm as she typed upon the Magi's main keyboard, but as Else reemerged in the bay, her heart was racing. No one could have piloted Unit 5 as Else had just done...it was against all calculations. But he had done it...and achieved an impossible 100 sync ratio, to boot. 100!!!! There was no way an ordinary child could have done that. But Else wasn't ordinary, and Ritsuko was one of three people who knew it. She only hoped no one would ask questions...a shadow passed across the console, and she flinched. But it was only Commander Ikari, who stood silently behind her, looking at the results. "So--the fourth child may not have turned out as badly as we thought..." Gendo mused.

XXX

Else held his hand to his head. For some reason, he was now facing a horrible headache that threatened to split his head in half with pain. Misato noticed, and smiled at him trying to cheer him up. "Don't worry--the first piloting is always the hardest, I've heard. You'll feel a little bit better after the cleansing." "Cleansing?" Else was puzzled. "What's that?" "Well, after you get out of a "situation" like your first piloting, you're chemically showered to remove bacteria and other things you may have picked up during the piloting. Don't worry, though; the chemicals aren't harmful to humans." "Okay," Else agreed. It didn't sound too bad.

XXX

Just as Else entered the shower cubicle, Misato's cell phone rang. "Hello? Wow, already? Okay, I'll be there." Walking to the door, she swiped her own keycard, and then Asuka entered, wearing her usual yellow dress. "Hello, Misato-san," Asuka said, smiling. "Asuka? My, how you've grown!" "In more ways than one," Asuka joked, giving a coy wink. "Well, I suppose you should get in there now." "In where?" "No one told you? Since you just entered Tokyo-3, you have to be cleansed to remove impurities. The only way to do this is to be chemically showered." (You see where this is going, don't you?) "Why's everything got to be so damn complicated...oh, all right." With that, Asuka headed off to the locker room.

XXX

As Else entered the shower cubicle and shut the door, he took in his surroundings silently. He was inside a small cubicle formed by a small barrier that came up to his neck on both sides. In front of him and above was a shower head that, as he approached it, began to shower him with a chemical that looked like water even though he knew it couldn't be. To his left, there was another shower cubicle that was now empty. But to his right...he looked and Else's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. To his right was the red-eyed girl he had seen at the junior high school! He had known there was something unusual about her, but the fact that she was here...was she a pilot like himself? She certainly looked it.

Feeling his gaze, Rei turned to face him. For some reason, Else's face immediately turned red, though it was irrational...the barrier prevented either of them from showing anything they didn't want others to see. Else suddenly felt something well up from deep within him...a consciousness that was totally unfamiliar to him, that was not his own. "Sssssisssterrrrr..." the voice whispered inside his mind, and Else was frightened because...he knew that voice, but couldn't remember the name. Rei didn't seem fazed by his presence, just looked into his eyes for a while longer, then turned back so she was facing forward. Else was strangely drawn to this girl...and he didn't even know her name...oh well. He resumed idly washing himself...and the next second there was a scream.

XXX

Spluttering incoherently, Asuka slammed the door to the shower cubicle behind her and, wrapping a towel around herself, ran to Misato. "What kind of sick joke is this?" she shouted. "What's wrong, Asuka?" "There's a guy in there, that's what's wrong!" "What's wrong with that?" "Misato!" "I don't know what you're so uptight about, It's not like he can see anything, and if I know Else, he wouldn't try anything." "Just how well do you know him?" "Get in there!" Against her will, Asuka slid back into the shower room and shut the door behind her. Else barely gave her any sign that he had seen her enter, only looking out of the corner of his eye. _Well, that's fine, but he'd better not try anything funny or there will be blood..._Asuka thought, leaning against the barrier. And that's how it may have ended, had not fate decided to take an unexpected turn.

One second, Asuka was just leaning on the barrier between her and Else, the next it gave way beneath her. Else, taken by surprise, was knocked down, and they ended up on the floor, Else plastered under Asuka and the barrier, and Asuka on top with her face turning beet-red. "H-How could you do that?" she suddenly shouted out. "ME?! How could you blame me for that? You did that!" "You loosened the barrier, didn't you?" "Oh, sure, I have a screwdriver on me right now! I'm naked, for pete's sake!" As if realizing this for the first time, Asuka quickly got back up, covering herself with her hands. _We were that close to touching...naked! Thank goodness we didn't...I guess I'm glad that was there after all._ Else, closing his eyes, got back up and handed her the barrier to hide herself behind. "Th-thank you," she replied, too flustered to speak. As Asuka and Else went back to their separate locker rooms to get dressed, Asuka couldn't help but notice that he didn't try to look at her once. Which meant that he wasn't a perv...but that couldn't be...could it?

Hope you liked that, and I apologize for the delay.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: A Twist of Fate

As Else walked out of the fence around NERV HQ, with Misato following close behind, he couldn't help but think about the scene moments before now in the shower room. Else may have been an orphan, but he was no fool. He knew all the "stuff" ordinary junior high school students knew, but he was not perverted. No one had ever thought of him as such, at least. And, he thought to himself, he wasn't; not even a closet perv. But all the same...it really hadn't felt bad being that close to...Asuka, was it? The pilot of Unit 2.

XXX

It wasn't that long before the duo of Misato and Else reached the small apartment where he was to live. It was right next to hers and Shinji's, so, she assured him, he would be able to call on her anytime. Else couldn't understand the thought of Misato becoming his guardian...especially when she popped the top on a can of beer as soon as they got into her apartment. "After what happened today, I could drink about four or five," she muttered to herself. Else didn't even listen, but strode around the room, analyzing it. It was small, but passable...Else had lived in smaller places over the years he'd spent alone. But he wasn't alone now. He would have to get used to that feeling, he thought to himself as he absentmindedly arranged his small mat on the floor neatly. At least, he chuckled, it was softer than dirt.

XXX

Else hadn't see Asuka come into the apartment building just minutes after he and Misato had. But Asuka had certainly noticed _him,_ and hung back so she wouldn't have to catch his eye. Of course she was embarrassed, and it was even worse that what had happened had been kind of her fault. He'd seen her naked, almost--not the most orthodox of introductions. As she rode up in the elevator after them, she fervently hoped that she could catch Misato alone, so she wouldn't have to even look that boy in the eye. Little did she know what was about to happen...

"Asuka?" Misato frowned as she quietly shut the door to her apartment. "Why are you here?" "What do you mean, Misato-san? I was told that I was to find accomodations with you, here. You are taking care of me while I'm in this country, right?" "Well, Asuka, I appreciate the thought, but...we're kind of full up. On my salary, I can only afford two apartments, and they have to be close together. So you can either move into this apartment, crowded together w/Shinji and me, or you could go next door with Else. Your choice." "Exactly how crowded will it be with the two of you?" "Asuka! Oh, you're still upset about this afternoon." "Hello! He almost saw me naked, for God's sake--doesn't that mean anything to you?" She regretted the words the minute she had said them. Misato didn't get angry, but she did get that "disappointed" look adults are so good at making to make children feel guilty. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean that," Asuka whispered. "He didn't actually see anything, did he?" "Actually, from what I saw, he made a special effort NOT to look." "You know, not many guys would do that. Maybe you'd actually be lucky to move in with Else." "Lucky?" Asuka said to herself as she closed the door behind her. "Maybe, maybe not."

XXX

Else wasn't very surprised when Asuka walked into his room. Granted, he wasn't expecting her, but he was hoping to talk to her after what had happened. "Look," she said. "I don't like you, and as far as I know, you don't like me. But for some reason, we have to live in the same apartment." She sighed as she sat down in a small wooden chair. "What a day." As she took in the room, Asuka saw Else's mat on the floor and cringed. "Please tell me you have more than one bed." "You can take the bed; I'll sleep on the floor," Else sighed. "Well, at least you're a gentleman, I'll give you that." She tried to manage a small smile, and did. "Look, I know why you're embarrassed, and you have a right to be," Else said, pulling the mat out onto the middle of the floor. "But, we didn't really see any of, each other's, you know, private parts, so you probably shouldn't be that embarrassed." "I guess not," Asuka sighed, then walked off to the bathroom to shower the depression off that was hanging over her head.

How is Asuka going to handle living w/Else? Can they possibly get along? You'll find out in the next chapter. (sorry this one is so small. XD)


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Friends?

_Else was falling through a long, dark abyss, and all around him were a billion eyes, seeing him from all angles. As he fell, he thought he could hear a voice rasping in the background: "Soon..." it whispered. "Soon..." _

XXX

Else woke with a start, then sighed, wiping his sweaty brow. That dream again: he had been having it for night after night, a week since Asuka had started living with him. He looked over at her, asleep on his mat. "At least someone's getting some sleep," he murmured to himself. As if she had heard him, Asuka stirred slightly in her sleep, and Else tensed. But Asuka was only dreaming. Even as she watched, she mumbled something to herself: something that sounded to Else like the word, "Mama..." Else's heart went out to her, tossing fitfully under the covers. He didn't know why he felt pity for her; after all, throughout the entire time he'd lived with her, she was always snapping at him, getting angry over nothing, and sometimes she could be downright bitchy. But all the same, he still treated her right and tried just to get her to be happy, even for a little bit. After all, it was the first time he could remember sharing a home with someone, and he'd wanted to make a good impression. He'd never even seen her smile yet, though...

"I don't know how, but I think I like her," Else whispered to no one, softly turning over and falling back to sleep.

XXX

The next day, Else awakened to find Asuka already up, drinking a can of juice and looking at him like he'd committed some crime. "Why aren't you up yet?" she asked, sounding slightly perturbed. As if it were his fault! "Nightmare," Else muttered by way of explanation, then started the eggs and sausage frying on his small stove--breakfast for both of them. (I don't really know what they eat for breakfast in Japan, so this is an American breakfast, at least in the South.) Else always cooked: he was used to making his own food after living alone for all those years, so he was pretty good at it. Else then sat down to wait on breakfast to cook, and stared off into space until Asuka was forced to ask, "What are you thinking about?" "It's been a while since there's been an angel attack..." "Don't say that, you'll jinx it! I bet that as soon as you say that, there'll be an attack!" "What I'm trying to say is, we haven't gotten along since you've shared this room with me, and I wanted to try and remedy that." "Don't even try it. I'll never get along with you!" "Look, I know what happened at our first meeting was embarrassing for both of us, but when are you going to get the hell over it?"

It was the first time Else had ever cursed at anyone, he noted to himself, and he sensed that it wouldn't be the last. "Easy for you to say--I bet you were trying to sneak a peek at me from the start, you perv." "There's not much to look at," Else shot back. "I knew it! You did look!" "No, I didn't. I was the one who put the barrier back up so you could have your privacy, remember? And I kept it there the whole time you were in there." "Well, that's true, but how do I know you didn't knock it over on purpose?" "I didn't, but to answer your question, you're just gonna have to trust me." "I don't trust anyone, least of all you, or any other guy like you!" Asuka was yelling now, and Else, though he knew he shouldn't have, yelled right back, "Well, fine! You're just some crazy German b who got dumped on me, as if I didn't have enough to deal with, like just now becoming an Eva pilot!" Asuka was struck dumb by Else's fiery outburst, and just sat there with a shocked expression on her face as Else turned his back on her. "I don't know who I am yet, and I still don't know why I was chosen off the streets to become a pilot. I'm just an orphan."

There was a long pause, in which Else's rage subsided somewhat. Then Asuka spoke up, in a much quieter voice this time. "You don't have any parents?" "They died in the aftershock of the Second Impact, so I was told. I've been a ward of the state for years, working my way through school, dodging the police, and just trying to stay out of everyone's way." "I don't have any parents, either." "So your parents are dead, too?" "No...my mom is. And my father...my father..." Else could tell she didn't want to say any more for now, so he pretended to get breakfast ready as Asuka sat on a stool and sipped her juice quietly. "But," she suddenly added, "Maybe you're right. We could get along better. I'm not saying we're _together_ or anything like that, but maybe we could be friends." "I'd like that," Else replied, and gave her a smile, and this time, he actually got one in return. Maybe Asuka wasn't so bad after all...

Little nicer chapter, isn't it? Asuka has lost some of her bitchiness, I know, but I tried to make her stay in character. It's not easy to remain objective when the writer actually has feelings for Asuka, heheh...Anyway, that's all for now.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Synchronize! Part 1

As luck would have it, Asuka had been right. An angel attacked the next day, and like all the others, it came without warning. "Pilots of Units 02 and 05 please report to the bridge," the intercom blared over the constant annoying whine of the alarm. Even as this was being said, Asuka and Else were running up the stairway to their Eva's cockpits. "Wait until you see how a real pilot does it!" Asuka shouted at him over her shoulder, and when she wasn't looking, Else rolled his eyes. As if he didn't know how to pilot...but, he chose not to argue with her. That'd only make her angry, and Else liked it better when she was happy. After all, he had to live with her. "Unit 5, launch!" he shouted with fervor. The Eva, automatically responding to his voice patterns, launched obediently seconds ahead of Unit 2, much to Asuka's displeasure. "HEY! You were supposed to wait! Haven't you ever heard of 'ladies first'?" her voice crackled in his communicator. "No time; we have to eliminate the angel. It's our first priority; politeness can take a backseat to that." "Why you..." Asuka was cut off as her Eva emerged from its container alongside Else's.

"Heheh...you're mine!" Asuka shouted as she sprung over his Eva's head, cutting the anchor-shaped angel in half with the prog knife. "Well I'll be damned." Else whispered as he saw the wreckage, then, "Asuka, look out!'' Too late!--Asuka's Eva was blown back onto his Eva, sending them both sprawling as the angel reshaped itself into two. "H-how..." Asuka stammered. "It regenerated!" Else gasped. "Get the hell off me...I have to destroy it!" "I'm trying, but the controls are damaged!" As it turned out, neither of them had to do anything, for at that very moment, each half of the angel shot a laser beam from its eyespot.

XXX

"This incident will go on both of your records," Fuyutsuki (sp?) said indignantly from his chair in the conference room. Both Else and Asuka, still in their plugsuits, were standing in the center of the room. "Your actions, Pilot Sohryu, were wild and reckless. I would expect nothing less from you." Asuka froze, but didn't talk back. "Pilot DeMachina, your actions were idle and..." "It's not my fault! Her Eva had mine pinned, and she couldn't move!" "SILENCE!!!!" Fuyutsuki turned to look at the source of this new voice. "Commander Ikari!" "I-Ikari?" Else stammered, and his eyes flashed red. "As Commander Fuyutsuki was saying, your actions were reckless, and what you did is unforgivable. Thanks to some timely intervention from the army and air force, the Angel(s) were stopped from destroying all of Tokyo-3! Though it may not have been able to do so without you two for help! You turned a simple angel-destroying mission into a double-trouble assignment. For now, the Angel has been immobilized, but it will recover in exactly 15 days. You two will take responsibility for what you have done." There was a pause, and suddenly, Else spoke up in a voice that was unusually gravelly. "We will do as you wish, 'Commander'," saying the word 'commander' like it was a swearword.

Ikari glanced back at him and saw that Else's eyes had suddenly turned redder, with snakelike pupils. Was it Asuka's imagination, or could she see a drop of sweat running down the commander's forehead as he said, "This discussion is closed," and walked back up the stairs he had come down on. Asuka turned to look at Else, but his face had gone back to normal. Odd--she had heard the tone in Else's voice, but what had given the commander such a scare that he had had to leave immediately? Meanwhile, in his private quarters, Ikari's mind was franctic. It couldn't be, it wasn't possible, that the fourth child could remember...or was HE the one doing the remembering? No, he mustn't even think of that possibility. If he and Dr. Akagi had been wrong...the city would suffer, and it would be all his fault. Not that he cared, but his reputation would take a blow that he could never recover from...

XXX

"Did you see the way he talked to me?!" Asuka exclaimed indignantly to Else. "Like it was my fault the controls jammed!" "Accidentally or otherwise, Asuka, you and I both looked like fools out there." Both of them were back at their apartment, Asuka chugging down a super-sour soda to match the mood she was in. "I think the only thing we can do," Else said sensibly, "Is go back out there in exactly 15 days and defeat that Angel, so we can redeem ourselves." "But how? Can we destroy two Angels at the same time?" "We can--and we will!" Else pounded the coffee table with his fist. "I know you're up for this!" "What's gotten into you? How come you're so upbeat all of a sudden?" "I just want to prove Ikari wrong. Don't you?" "Sure I do, but..." Suddenly, there was the familiar swish of the door opening, and Misato stepped into the room. "What are you two still doing in here? You should be training!" "Training?" both Asuka and Else asked simultaneously. "Oh, I haven't told you...there's only one way to destroy two angels at the same time...and that's only with two pilots who have to be in perfect synchronization, And you two have to be training day and night to do that." "Day and night?" Asuka and Else moaned, again simultaneously. "You two may be already pretty close to synchronizing." Misato quipped. "Say what?" they said simultaneously.

"Are we going to play Twister?" was Else's reaction upon seeing the training mat. "Of course not; this is how you'll train; the battle will be set to this music, and you two must move at exactly the same time the other does to this music. You'll have to get this perfect, and I don't know if you can do so in 15 days, but we'll try it anyway." As they lay facedown on the mat, the same thing was on both pilot's minds..."I have to win. My honor as a pilot and the fate of Tokyo-3 depends on it!"


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Synchronize! Part 2

Misato was actually closer to the truth than she had thought...Asuka and Else were very close to synchronicity, closer than anyone had dared to believe. They had almost no mistakes on the first try at the training mat, and they were getting closer and closer to perfection. But the closer they got, the faster time seemed to go. Of course, Asuka and Else weren't perfectly in sync...being in synchronization, they performed practically everything at the same time...except in the bathroom, and that was where Asuka drew the line. But Else took this better than other males could have, even though his knees were shaking every time he waited outside for her to get done. All day and all night, the tiny music players on their waists played the music over and over again, and slowly, both pilots felt themselves melding into the music.

It was just one day until D-Day, and 7:30 p.m. found Else sitting and listening to the player as Asuka emerged from the shower, drawing the towel she'd wrapped herself in closer as she asked, "Where's Misato?" "At work, she said it was a special assignment." "Finally!" Asuka said with a gleam in her eye. "I am not sleeping in the same bed with a boy another night..." she remarked, slipping into the closet and quickly dressing. Else hadn't seen anything wrong with sharing a bed with Asuka; after all, they had both merely slept the entire night, the music playing hypnotically in the background. And he had enjoyed feeling her warmth next to him, but he had known it was too good to last. After this, he knew it would be back to the same old routine of her doing her own thing and leaving him out. But, he thought to himself, why should he care what she did anyway? It was just Asuka; he was used to it.

"Yeah, this is just what I need!" Else was ejected from his reverie as Asuka dragged another mat into the room. "I can have Misato-san's mat. You keep your old one; tonight I sleep alone, finally! And if you try to sleep next to me, I'll rip off your head!" "I love you, too," Else replied as he idly turned the pages of the manga he was reading. "What was that?" "Nothing." _Same old Asuka, _he thought. _Abrasive and sharp-tongued...I can't believe I have to share an apartment with her!_ "Guten night, Else," Asuka said softly as she turned out the lights. Else took a look at her, sighed, and finally went into the bathroom to get ready for bed.

XXX

It was midnight, and Else couldn't sleep. This was nothing new to him...sometimes he could go without sleep for weeks to avoid the constant nightmares. But this time, he didn't sleep because of the tension in the air. Tomorrow would be his last chance--could he possibly do it? Suddenly, he sensed Asuka stir in her sleep. She rose up groggily and went to the bathroom, and Else hardly paid any mind, hardly hearing the door open again after she'd finished. Once again, he closed his eyes and tried to sleep, when he heard a soft thud. He opened his eyes, and they nearly bugged out of his head. Asuka was lying right next to him on the mat. She was sound asleep, so he knew she hadn't realized what she'd done, but he couldn't help but notice that her loose clothes were hanging off her in very nice ways due to her curved position on the mat. Her face was inches away from his own, and then he heard her softly whisper, "Mama..." in her sleep. _She's not so bad when she's not yelling at me,_ Else observed quietly to himself as he tiptoed over to her mat, leaving her fast asleep on his, and hoped that she wouldn't notice in the morning.

XXX

"Commence launch sequence!" Ritsuko commanded, and the Eva shot up on the metal tracks that were their speedy highway to the surface, where they emerged from their containers like tin soldiers from their box. Ordinarily, Asuka and Else would both be thinking about the battle ahead, but the only thing they knew was the music that played. The music was within them, and they had become one. This was it--now or never! The twin angels began to fire rapid, machine-gun bursts of laser fire, but Asuka and Else, moving as one, did several nimble backflips, landing behind a giant blast shield that emerged from the ground and cut off the Angel's fire. Then the two Eva fired some machine-gun bullets of their own, but they had little effect, as Misato had known they wouldn't. But that was what the last minute of the music was for. With a wild cry from both Else and Asuka, the two Eva leaped into the air, coming down like twin missiles. The Evas' giant feet smashed into the eyespots of the twin Angels, and they vanished in an enormous flash of light. "They did it," Fuyutsuki breathed from his position at the same chair in the conference room he had sat in only a few days before. "As I knew they could, Commander Fuyutsuki," Misato said with a gesture of satisfaction. "After all, they are the elite." "Indeed...Pilot Sohryu, the pilot of the first production Eva, Unit 2, and Pilot DeMachina, the pilot of the untameable Eva prototype, Unit 5. These two are quite remarkable." Laughing with the relief, the two pilots climbed out of the huge crater made by their impact. "They sure are," Misato replied with a smile.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Dangerous Heat Part 1

Misato was anxious as she walked down a corridor of NERV's vast headquarters. All she could think about was what she had heard in the conference room only minutes before. "An Angel laying dormant?" she said, not believing what she had heard. "Yes," Ritsuko had replied, walking up to a computer screen that showed the Angel, which looked vaguely like a human embryo. "So why haven't we captured it? Any knowledge we obtain could be vital to the mission!" Misato had exclaimed. "Ah, but there's a catch. The Angel--it's in a volcano." "Then how do you propose we retrieve it?" "That's the tricky part..."

XXX

Misato walked down the hallway of the apartment building where she lived with the three young pilots, but she didn't stop at her door, instead continuing on to the one next door, which she opened. "Morning," she said, trying to sound cheery. "Ah--good morning, Misato-san!" Asuka said. She was lying upon her mat on the floor, reading a magazine. (Misato's mat had been moved back into its place before Misato had returned the previous morning.) "Good morning, Asuka," Misato replied. "Good morning," came Else's low, soft voice from the back of the kitchen. Misato could see that he was getting breakfast ready. "Asuka, could you come with me for a second?" "Sure," Asuka said, and she got up and followed Misato into the hallway.

"What's up?" Asuka asked as Misato shut the door behind them. "I came to tell you that you have a special assignment today." "What is it?" As Misato explained what she had heard that morning, Asuka's face fell. "You want me to go scuba-diving in a volcano to capture an Angel?" "In a word, yes. But Unit 2 is the only Eva that can withstand that kind of pressure. Therefore, since only you can pilot Eva Unit 2, you have to do this." "I will," Asuka replied, but she sounded a little nervous as she said it. "Don't worry, we have state-of-the-art equipment; you won't really be in any danger," Misato assured her. There was a pause, in which the two of them could hear the sounds of Else fixing breakfast for himself and Asuka. "You're pretty lucky to have a guy around who knows how to cook." "Yeah, and he's nice, too. He hasn't tried anything ecchi in the whole time we've been living together." "Do I hear wedding bells?" Misato teased. "Stop it!" Asuka said, giving her a playful punch in the arm. "I like him as a friend, okay? Nothing more." But something in her voice made Misato think that she wasn't so sure.

Asuka walked back into the room, where Else was waiting with breakfast on the table. "You're back," he said, smiling. "So what did Misato want?" "Just a little special assignment for me," Asuka said, dismissing the topic with a wave of her hand. But on the inside, her mind was racing. _Is it true? _she thought. _Could I actually be falling in love?_ She decided she would test him. "Else?" "Yeah?" Else looked up from his plate, putting down the chopsticks-load of food he'd been about to put in his mouth. "If I asked you to kiss me, would you?" Else paused. _Why would she say something like that? _he thought. _Well, I'll answer with the truth. _"I think I would," he said aloud. Asuka blushed. Else took advantage of the silence and replied, "Would _you_?" "...y-yeah..." Asuka stammered, then, more confidently, she nodded and said, "Yes. Yes I would." "If you really did," Else replied, "then you would be the first." "So you've never been kissed, either?" "I'm an orphan. And not many girls would approach a guy with my looks." "Point taken." Asuka laid back in the chair, satisfied, until Else surprised her with another question, "Do you plan to ask me?" "Not yet, but if you play your cards right..." and she left it at that.

XXX

"Waaaah?!" Asuka cried as the special plugsuit she was going to be wearing suddenly inflated like a giant balloon. "I can't go out looking like this!" "Don't be ridiculous, Asuka," came Misato's voice from the other side of the changing room. "That suit was especially designed to negate the massive pressure that will be inevitably exerted on your body. If you don't wear it, you'll be flattened like a pancake!" "Okay, okay," Asuka grudgingly heaved herself, swollen plugsuit and all, through the door to the changing room. "Ahhhh!!!! What have you done to my Unit 2?!" she screamed. Eva Unit 2 was encased in a comically round, giant plastic _thing_ that resembled a space suit. "Unit 2 has to be protected as well," Misato sighed. "I won't do it! I refuse to have my Eva looking like this!" "Sounds like someone's backing out," came a familiar voice from the balcony above the floor. "K-Kaji?" Asuka stammered. For it was the familiar stubble-covered face of Ryoji Kaji, NERV's greatest technician, that was looking down at her. _Kaji's watching, _Asuka thought. _Back out now, and I'll look like a fool. Or worse, a coward. I guess I have no choice. _Asuka turned to Unit 2 and moaned, "I'm sorry, lietzchen, (sp?) but they made me do it!"

As Asuka and the Eva prepared to dive, she was having second thoughts. The rig Unit 2 was hanging from resembled a clothesline, and Asuka was beginning to feel that she had been hung out to dry--in more ways than one. Then there was the lava, which lay bubbling only a few feet below her. Even though Asuka would never admit it, not even to herself, she was afraid. And she had a right to be; after all, she was diving into a fiery pool of death! Suddenly, there came a voice from nowhere...but then Asuka realized that it was just her communicator screen. "Don't worry, Asuka. If anything should happen, Unit 5 and I will be right here." "ELSE? What are you doing here?" "You didn't think I wouldn't be here for you, did you? Well, I am, so I guess you're stuck with me." "Thank you," Asuka whispered, and he knew she meant it. "Commence submergence," Ritsuko commanded, and the Eva began to dive.

XXX

Nearby, at the lip of the volcano, Else stood sweating next to Unit 5. "Hah...it's so hot up here, I wouldn't be surprised if _you _started to sweat," Else said, addressing the black Eva he piloted. "What am I doing, talking to an android...the heat must be getting to me. I'd move, but I have to be here for moral support. Asuka may not come back from this assignment, and if she gets into trouble, I'll rescue her. I vow to be there for her," he said to no one in particular. However, Kaji, who was standing on a platform only a few feet above (unbeknownst to Else) happened to overhear. He didn't say anything, but merely laughed quietly to himself and shook his head as he thought, _Teenagers--they're all the same at heart._ Misato watched from a helicopter just above the scene, holding her breath and praying that it would work. With that, Unit 2 slid quietly into the lava without so much as a ripple.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Dangerous Heat Part 2

Asuka felt as if she'd just dove into a hot spring. She was sweating all over, and her entire body felt a slight pressure...but she supposed it could have been a lot worse. The suit and the coolant constantly seeping in from the three tubes on the Eva's back kept her from feeling the worst of the extreme conditions; if they hadn't been there, the flesh would have melted off her bones. But she was still here; not completely comfortable, but here. "You should be right above the Angel," Misato's voice crackled through the communicator. "I think I can see it," Asuka replied, peering through the viewscreen in front of her. Like the readout in the conference room moments before, the sleeping behemoth somewhat resembled a human embryo.

"Now remember, the Angel must be captured alive," Ritsuko's voice came through on the other line. "Press the button on your left." Asuka did so, and suddenly, a shiny box that appeared to be made of pure energy appeared in Unit 2's space-suited hands. "This energy cage will hopefully contain the Angel until it can be transferred to the mobile facility we've prepared. Once there, it will be inserted into a cryogenics chamber, in which we can study it safely. But getting there depends on you, Asuka--so no pressure." "Got it," Asuka replied as she gritted her teeth. Gripping the joystick beside her, she slowly moved the Eva forward. As the forcecage passed over the Angel, it went right through it until the sleeping behemoth was completely surrounded. "The cage only lets things in, not out, so the Angel should be safely secured as you bring it to the surface." Ritsuko said. "Okay, Asuka, you're coming back now." "Danke Gott..." Asuka muttered to herself. Not many people could boast that they had returned from a mission like this alive.

XXX

"Well, looks like she did it," Kaji said to himself as he heard the transmission over his own communicator. "I knew she would," Else spoke up. He had moved to the platform beside Kaji, watching the events unfold from above. "But she's not out of the woods yet--anything could happen between there and here." "Not exactly the optimistic type, are you...Else, is it?" "Yeah." "Nice to meet you. I'm Ryoji Kaji." Kaji turned to look back at the bubbling crater filled to the brim with lava. "I hope the equipment is as sophisticated as Rits--Dr. Akagi makes it out to be." "Me, too." Else said softly as he watched in silent prayer. Ritsuko was in the nearby trailer, observing the unfolding events through her own viewscreen. "Huh?" she said to herself. "That's strange...for a second there, I thought I saw...no, it was!" The Angel's life signs had suddenly jumped, and that could only one thing. The sleeping beast had awakened.

"Dr. Akagi, what's happening?!" came Asuka's franctic cry. "The Angel is waking up!" "Asuka, get out of there!" Misato shrieked through her communicator. Asuka was frozen with horror as the Angel shifted, grew, and began to change form. In seconds, it was in the shape of a giant manta ray. "Okay, Plan B--Pilot Sohryu will attempt to destroy the Angel." "NOW?" Asuka cried. "YES, YOU HAVE TO!" "Okay...here goes!" Asuka cried, drawing the progressive knife. But no matter how many times she stabbed at the Angel's 'skin', it seemed to just glance off! "Damn! How do I beat this thing?!" _Think, Asuka, think! Remember the science test last week...thermal expansion! Then the coolant...? _Asuka and Unit 2, moving as one, reached up to Unit 2's back and pulled one of the coolant tubes out. "What the hell is she--" Ritsuko cried, before she suddenly understood.

Ignoring Ritsuko's cry, Asuka shoved the coolant tube into the Angel's gaping mouth. For five pulse-pounding seconds, nothing happened. Then the Angel inflated instantaneously like a balloon, before collapsing into nothing. Asuka quickly jammed the tube back into place before she could feel any more of the heat. "She did it," Else breathed. But then, something awful happened! The entire viewscreen began to flash with red writing, and an alarm began to blare. "Asuka! The pressure suit is giving way!" Ritsuko shouted. "If you don't get out of there soon, your Eva will collapse with you inside it!" "Great, and I'm still about 500 yards from the surface!" Else heard this exchange through Kaji's walkie-talkie, but he didn't watch it. He was already running to Unit 5. "Come on, come on," Asuka begged the pulley system that was holding her to hurry. Suddenly, there was a groan, and a snap. "That can't be good," Asuka croaked, and suddenly she felt herself jerk downward. And only a few feet from the surface!

"There's no way," Else whispered to himself, and then he did something that was absolutely crazy. He plunged the Eva's unprotected hand into the lava. The heat was agonizing, and he barely managed to cry through teeth gritted with pain, "ASUKA, GRAB MY HAND!" There was no response, and Else thought she surely must be dead, but then Unit 2's groping hand found Unit 5's, and he hauled the singed Eva from the fiery pit with unimaginable strength. "Y-you saved me," Asuka whispered, and blacked out. Else was too shocked to respond. 

XXX

"He'll be okay, won't he?" Asuka pleaded. The two of them, Asuka and Misato, were sitting in the hospital's waiting room, desparately awaiting the news from Else's ward. "I think so, but his left hand was badly burned." "Katsuragi?" Misato turned to see a nurse beckoning to them to come through the doors. Else was lying on a hospital bed before them. His left hand was swathed in bandages, and there was an unpleasant singed aroma in the air. But as Asuka walked in, his face brightened into a smile. "You're all right!" he said softly, in a voice that showed he was still in shock. "That's more than I can say for you." Asuka sat down on the bed beside him and continued, "Why did you go and do a crazy thing like that?" "All I wanted was to save you, Asuka." His voice cracked as he replied, "I just wanted to keep you alive and unhurt." "Why?" Asuka replied, even though she already knew the answer. "Because..." there was a long pause, and then he said, "I love you."

Asuka's hand went to her mouth. She should have seen that coming. Why else would he have tried to do the impossible...something that could have cost him his life? "I'll try to find some way to repay you," she heard herself say. "But first..." she leaned down over him and planted a soft kiss on his lips. Else must have known she was going to do it, because he kissed back.


End file.
